Turning Halloween into Thanksgiving: Getting Double-Duty out of those Pumpkins

A healthy pumpkin or gourd can last MONTHS! I love decorating with pumpkins every Fall. They look great from October 1st through November 26th. I just rearrange them after packing up the Halloween decorations. After Thanksgiving what doesn’t get turned into pies and breads can be composted or fed to goats and piggys. Biodegradable eco-friendly decor!

This year I’m being really lazy (well lazy for me, the unapologetic maximalist). I rearranged the pumpkins and added my old artificial magnolia leaf garlands and wreath as well as pheasant feathers, which I’ve been reusing for about a decade. On the table I added a few of the feathers and my fall ceramics. The only cost was the fresh flowers.

I had fun with the front door. The Fall mums in my pots were looking pretty sad (see below) so instead of tossing them out I used them as a base for cut amaranth, Mohave pyrocanthis, olive branches, and a few other things growing in my yard. I grew lots of amaranth this year as it is easy to grow here in the desert and I love the way it looks, especially when planted with sunflowers (and the birds love it!). It also dries very well, as do the other things I put in the pots. When “shopping” your yard for greenery, WEAR GLOVES and long sleeves! The Mohave pyrocanthis has sharp thorns, and something I cut (not sure what) gave me a thankfully short-lived rash. Next time, long sleeves! I’m pleased with the way the pots turned out, and it cost nothing!

Hope you all have a delightful Fall Season! Thanks for looking ๐Ÿ™‚

Before & After – the Catwalk

The new house is coming along nicely. While I think it will always be a work in progress, spaces are starting to come together enough to start showing full before and after tasty goodness ๐Ÿ˜„. Today itโ€™s the Catwalk! Yes this crazy house has a freaking catwalk, yet another one of the strange delights this house has to offer. The catwalk was a fun space to design. I wanted to make it as functional as possible for our needs (as cheaply as possible) and think I succeeded. I wanted to have lots of seating, extra sleeping spaces for overnight guests, and a reading/meditation area. We are eventually hoping to have art and music events at the house and this will be a prime spot to watch performances in the great room below.

As you can see on the Before pics, the catwalk was largely unusable, full of nasty old carpet with no structure.

The first thing we did was rip out the nasty old carpet. The wood was in good shape so we did a simple whitewash on it to blend it into the whitewash wood on the walls. I had our awesome handyman build platforms for the black French mattresses (Pottery Barn Teen), build shelves against the east wall and paint the old bookshelves and all the new build outs Sherwin Williams Tricorn black. The desk was moved to my art studio and painted white. I saved a ton sewing all my own pillows. Iโ€™m not much of a seamstress but they are certainly good enough. I scored the beautiful designer tiger fabric as a remnant on fabricguru.com, the velvet pink on fabric.com. Most of the art and chotchkies we had, a couple pieces (including the tribal black pieces behind the seating area) we found at the local swap meet.

The area is much more useable now, and I love the way it came out. We go up there to just hang out and watch the sunset out the west windows. We had a couple guests sleep up there recently and got a big thumbs up :-).

Much more to come! Follow this blog and donโ€™t miss a thing.

A Sunday Funday Fashion Post! Yes, you CAN Look Great Wearing Clothes from the Thirft Store…

I know I haven’t done a fashion post for awhile, so here it goes! I really liked the funky outfit I put together last night so I’ll share it with you.

I always like to prove you can do almost all your shopping from the thrift store and look great, so here is what I wore last night, with descriptions and prices on everything…

(Pictures taken at Denver’s Union Station)

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I love a little pop of color when wearing neutrals! It makes the outfit.

From Top to Bottom:

The long-sleeve square-neck black top is by “Velvet”, Goodwill $3.99, purchased this Summer.

Faux Fur Vest by Charlotte Ruse, also from Goodwill, $6.99, purchased last Fall.

DIY Black Heart Necklace (see it HERE) Created February this year.

Leopard-print brushed cotton jeans by Jones New York, Goodwill $8.99. Purchased last year.

HYPE black and gold clutch, Neiman Marcus Last Call, $38 (Originally about $200) purchased about 6 years ago. (this bag was a splurge for me, but I actually use it a ton.)

Costa Blanca Hot Pink satin ankle boots, Neiman Marcus Last Call $18. (originally over $100) purchased about 7 years ago.

Bracelet, Goodwill, $2.99, purchased a couple months ago.

 

So there you have it, more great looks from your neighborhood thrift store. What have you found lately? I’d love to hear about it.

 

Find of the (Almost Every) Week…GUCCI!

It’s time for Find of the (Almost Every) Week!

This week’s find…Gucci Slides! How cute are these? And perfect for this time of year with Spring just beginning to poke in it’s pretty head. They are in near-new condition, too. Oh Happy Me! Found these at my favorite Goodwill for $12.

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What great finds have you scored lately? I’d love to hear about it in the Leave a Reply/Comments section.

Find of the (Almost Every) Week…Diane Von Furstenberg! (& Dr. Seuss!)

Find of the (Almost Every) Week!

It was a great week at my favorite Goodwill. I found several delightful goodies, including an adorable Diane Von Furstenberg dress for $6.99. It is in perfect condition, but alas, it is too small for me ๐Ÿ˜ฆ I am selling it on Ebay to help fund my future thrifting adventures (see it here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/121264480095?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649 )

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I also found some great goodies for art projects,ย  a couple cute black tops by Velvet ($2.99 each) and this adorable set of vintage Dr. Seuss nesting blocks ($12.99). I have a thing for Dr Seuss, and I just love these.

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Have you found anything awesome at the thrift store lately? I love to hear about it in the Leave a Reply/Comments section.

Find of the (Almost Every) Week – November 29, 2013. Tadashi & Eileen Fisher

Find of the (Almost Every) Week – November 29, 2013
Tadashi & Eileen Fisher

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I was thrilled to find this gorgeous black layered strapless gown from Tadashi, in perfect condition, at the Goodwill this week. I love it! This dress retailed for around $400. I paid $8. I also scored this lovey grey Merino wool Eileen Fisher sweater, in new condition, and perfect for this time of year! I’ve already worn it a few times. It retailed for around $250. What did I pay? $4. These are the sort of deals I live for! I can’t wait to wear this dress to a holiday party…

 

What amazing finds have you made? I’d love to hear about it in the Leave a Reply/Comment section.

I know, It’s Cold Outside. Bundle Up and Go See Some Art…It’s FIRST FRIDAY in Denver! (plus more Free Events all Weekend and Beyond…)

ImageProxy.mvcย Artist Ryan Rice, Courtesy of R2 Gallery

It’s a chilly fun-packed weekend here in Denver! Get that Winter coat out of storage and join us out on the town…

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Denver Art Museum FREE DAY Saturday the 5th.

Denver Museum of Nature & Science FREE DAY Sunday the 6th.

Denver Botanic Gardens FREE DAY Monday the 7th.

Saturday & Sunday is the Four Mile Historic Parkโ€™s Pumpkin Harvest Festival this weekend โ€“ 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pie-eating contest, pumpkin bowling, music, dancing, historic games, arts & crafts, horse-drawn wagon rides, โ€œmake a life-sized scarecrowโ€ and, of course, a pumpkin patchโ€ฆplus, much more. Plus, you canโ€™t have a fall festival without homemade caramel apples, old-fashioned kettle corn and other goodies for sale. Admission is FREE, though additional charges apply for some activities. 715 S. Forest St., Denver.

Join us at Artsmyth’s Boxed Wine & Wear Bazaar! ย Saturday, 11am-8pm. The wine and cookies and browsing are free, the merchandise is all 10-15% off. This ship is worth a visit just to admire the incredible handmade masks.

It’s not Free, but it’s Cheap…50% off Day at Goodwill.

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Mark Your Calendars for Saturday October 12th for the Colfax Block Party at the Shoppe for Second Saturday. Zombie Fashion Show, Live painting, Denver Fashion Truck, DJs, and the High City Derby Divas giving out free brain mini cupcakes. It doesn’t get better than that.

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And of course, ART! Courtesy of DenverArts.org, here is the Art Opening Line-up this weekend:

ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  [Upcoming Events from the DenverArts.org Calendar]

October 03, 2013
October 04, 2013
October 05, 2013
October 06, 2013
October 09, 2013

How I Made a Tropical Backyard Oasis in Denver on a Cheap-Ass Budget

The air is cooling, (I actually had to put on a sweater last night). Fall is upon us, and all too soon I’ll be putting the garden to bed and hauling out the snow shovel. With that in mind, I thought I’d share my yard with you before the first frost hits and I’m crying over shriveled leaves.

The backyard is ever a work-in-progress. A constant battle to create something that feels tropical in dry-as-a-rattlesnake-fart Denver. (OK, MOST of the time it is dry here, the recent crazy rains not withstanding.) I think this year is the best yet for my little tropical oasis. Ready for the tour? Here we go…

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Find of the (Almost Every) Week, September 17, 2013

It’s time for Find of the Week!

This week’s 2 Goodwill Goodies are totally different but equally Fabulous.

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I cannot keep the pugs off this luxurious sheepskin throw. (Can you blame them?) It’s super-thick and in great shape. Cost: $12! The gorgeous shoes are a deep red patent leather by Stuart Weitzman. I LOVE these peep-toe pumps, perfect for Fall! They look like they were only worn a couple times. Cost: $8! Lucky Me!

What Fabulous Finds have you scored lately? I’d love to hear about them in the Leave a Reply/Comments section.

How-To DIY Found Dresser Make-Over for the Rock Star Glam Bedroom

 

The Dresser is DONE! Hallelujah.ย 

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We found this big vintage boy last year in the alley just a block away…

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